Preserving Memories

My Grandma and I spent some time together rummaging through her old trunks the other day. I love doing stuff like that. Looking at old photos, reminiscing, and just spending meaningful time together. My Grandma is my biggest mentor, so of course anything she gives me has special meaning. While going through a scrapbook she had made as a teen we found 2 images of Mothers and their baby. They were the sweetest portraits, Grandma isn’t sure where they came from, but insisted I have them. I wanted a special place for them so when I got home I went right to work.

 {Josiah, Grandma, Leah, Grandpa}

The first Mother and Baby portrait I hung in our hallway. I painted a formerly black frame white with everyone’s favorite, Rustoleum’s Heirloom White, and just matted it with sage green scrapbook paper.

The next portrait was trickier. I couldn’t find a backdrop paper that made colors in the picture stand out, so instead I dug into my box of mementos and found this. It was tatted by my Great Grandma Alvera and given to me by my Grandma Mary at my Bachelorette Party. This tatted buttercup means a lot, but I just didn’t know what to do with it until now. I got out my scrapbooking brads and affixed the buttercup to the paper and placed the whole thing in a shadow box.

 It’s so simple but yet means soo much. Now to find a place to put it…

Chick Days at Tractor Supply Co.

This weekend we took the kiddos to our local Tractor Supply Co. for their annual chick days.

 I remember when I was little, my parents brought me and my sisters to see the new baby chicks and ducks in the store. Of course we always wanted to bring one home, but never could. 

Josiah loved seeing the baby chicks. Such sweet sounds they make. We loved watching them cuddle up to each other under the heat lamps. To our surprise they also had some bunnies for sale too. 

Yet again, I fell in love and wanted to take some chicks home. I had a perfect plan of converting one of our back sheds into a chicken coop, but it just wasn't logical since we don't know when or where we are moving too. There's always next year!!

Sweet Baby Leah

At 9 months old, my beautiful daughter has just said her first word… “Uh Oh!”

She uses it constantly, (in context I might add!), but her favorite time to use it is while dropping cheerios on the floor for my son to pick up. It has become a repetitive game for them. It makes me smile. Josiah is such a wonderful big brother to Leah. He always has been.

The second a peep comes out of her mouth he announces to us that the baby is crying. As if we don’t hear her. She’s got a powerful set of lungs, that girl! 

The sweetest face, biggest blue eyes, and rosebud lips that she loves to give kisses with. It’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen, the way she puckers up and leans into your cheek. I can't believe she'll be one in June!

Easter Art - 3D Butterfly Cross

I have loved all the pictures everyone has been making with punch outs and wanted to design an Easter craft to do with Josiah. I wanted this craft to have a lesson intertwined so I chose to design a cross made out of 3D butterflies, both symbols of new life. 

{1/3 of the way done}

We used the leftover scrap paper from our Lenten Chain to punch out little butterflies. After we had a pile of paper punches, I took the background paper and drew out the shape of the cross with Elmer’s glue. Fill in the outline with glue and then place a collage of flat butterflies on top. Let that layer dry. 

{ Two layers of flat punch outs}

Repeat flat layers until the background of your cross is full. For the last layer I folded the wings of the butterfly punch outs upward and then filled in the cross with these 3D butterflies. Let Dry. Take the glass out of your frame (or else place in a shadowbox) so your art won’t be squished. Ta-Da! This project was so simple, but took about an hour due to letting the layers dry.

{I love the shadows of the butterflies wings}

Frame- $0.60

Butterfly Punch- $1.99

Scrap Paper- Free

Elmer’s Glue - $0.25

Total Cost - $2.84

Daily Inspiration -

But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; 

He will surely take me to Himself. -Psalm 49:15